Art meets tech: American college student explores Chinese innovation in the Greater Bay Area

Cascade F. Almond, a graduate art student from Southern Illinois University in the U.S., recently traveled to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) for a cross-border adventure and to meet the region's innovative businesses.

On Fenghuang Mountain in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Cascade ran with trail runners to see how Chinese outdoor brands leverage their knowledge of tough terrain to create products that connect people through a shared lifestyle.

"Entrepreneurship isn't just selling goods — it's conveying a culture and way of life with the world," he said after the run.

During a visit to an eco-friendly energy company in Qianhai, Shenzhen, Cascade was amazed by a "magical" coating — inspired by Saharan silver ants — that achieves cooling without electricity.

This episode of "Touching the Greater Bay Area" explores what drives the passion and pragmatism of the region's entrepreneurs, as seen through the eyes of a visiting artist.